Container with agitator for nail polish and the like



Oct. 5, 1965 H. LUKESCH 3,209,387

CONTAINER WITH AGITATOR FOR NAIL POLISH AND THE LKE Filed Nov. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheetl l H. LUKl-:scH 3,209,387

CONTAINER WITH AGITATOR FOR NAIL POLISH AND THE LIKE Oct. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1963 INVENTOR. /ir/ ,z Zani United States Patent O 3,209,387 CONTAINER WITH AGITATOR FR NAIL POLISH AND THE LIKE Heinz Lukesch, Hamburg-Sasel, Germany, assigner to Riz Parfmerie-Fabrik G.m.b.H., Cologne, Germany Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 326,930 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 28, 1962, R 25,164 21 Claims. (Cl. 15-510) The present invention relates to a container for nail polish or similar colloidal suspensions wherein solid particles, suspended in a liquid carrier, tend to settle in the absence of periodic stirring.

Attempts are known to avoid sedimentation of solid particles which are suspended in a liquid carrier by distributing the particles in a highly viscous carrier. However, in many instances, a highly viscous carrier is not satisfactory for a given purpose and, furthermore, such solution merely delays sedimentation but cannot prevent settling of solid particles when the suspension is left in storage for extended periods of time. In fact, it happens quite frequently that the solid particles form a solid cake which cannot be redispersed in the carrier, even by lengthy stirring.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide a container for nail polish or similar colloidal suspensions which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the suspension is automatically stirred whenever the user withdraws some suspension from the internal chamber of a bottle or another form of receptacle in which the suspension is stored.

Another yobject of the invention is to provide a container of the just outlined characteristics wherein the stirring action takes place in response to removal or reattachment of a customary closure which normally seals the internal chamber of the receptacle from the surrounding atmosphere so that even a negligent user cannot avoid thorough stirring of the suspension whenever it becomes necessary to Withdraw some suspension from the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved motion transmitting device which automatically rotates a stirring device in response to rotation of the closure so that the suspension is agitated at least twice when the container is put to use because the stirring device will agitate the solution when the closure is removed and when the closure is reapplied to the receptacle.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a specially confgurated stirring device which may be utilized in a container of the above outlined characteristics and to provide a novel receptacle which insures that its contents are subjected to different stirring actions in response to rotation of the stirring device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a stirring device which is capable of removing all sediments from an uneven surface so that solid particles which settle in a receptacle having an uneven bottom will be scraped olf and redistributed in the liquid carrier.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a container for nail polish which may be manufactured at low cost of readily available materials, which is of eye-pleasing appearance, which requires no skill on the part of the user for proper manipulation of the stirring device, and which may be produced in many diierent sizes and/ or shapes to accommodate requisite quantities of a colloidal suspension.

With the above objects in view, one Ifeature of the invention resides in the provision of a container for colloidal suspension, particularly for nail polish or similar cosmetic preparations. The container comprises a bottle or a similar receptacle which defines an internal chamber ICC and which includes a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from the chamber, a rotary screwi threaded closure which may assume the form of a cap and which meshes with the top portion of the receptacle to normally seal the chamber from the atmosphere, a rotary stirring device comprising a stirring member, preferably consisting of elastically deformable material, which extends into the chamber and an upper portion which is supported by the top portion of the receptacle, and motion transmitting means comprising cooperating coupling elements provided on the closure and on the upper portion of the stirring device to rotate the stirring device in response to rotation of the closure whereby a suspension which is contained in the chamber is automatically stirred when the closure is rotated with respect to the receptacle or vice versa.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved container itself, however, both as to its construction and the mode of manipulating the same, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specic embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through a container for nail polish which embodies one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar vertical section taken in the direction of arrows as seen from the line II-II of FIG. 1 but showing the closure in partly unscrewed position;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a central vertical section through a modified container; and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section through a third container.

Referring to the drawings, and iirst to FIG. 1, there is shown a container for nail polish or a similar colloidal suspension wherein solid particles, suspended in a liquid carrier, tend to settle in the absence of periodic stirring. The container comprises a receptacle here shown as a bottle 10 consisting of vitreous material and defining an internal chamber 10b which is bounded by walls of noncircular outline, see particularly FIG. 3. The bottom wall 10c of the bottle 10 is of concave-convex shape and the bottle further comprises a tubular top portion 10a through which a colloidal suspen-sion may be introduced into and withdrawn from the chamber 10b. The top portion 10a is provided with external screw threads, as at 10d, which normally mesh with internal screw threads 11a of a rotary closure here shown as a plastic cap 11. The number of threads 10d, 11a is preferably rather large so that the cap 11 must be rotated several times prior to being completely detached from or fully connected with the top portion 10a in order to seal the internal chamber 10b from the atmosphere.

The cap 11 is provided with an upwardly extending flattened handle 15 which may be grasped by hand when the user desires to unscrew the cap and/or to apply nail polish to her lingernails or toe nails.

In accordance with the present invention, the container comprises a rotary stirring or agitating device including an upper portion 17 which extends into the top portion 10a and which is supported by this top portion in such a way that the entire stirring device may rotate with respect to the bottle 10. The stirring device further comprises a stirring member 18 which extends into the chamber 10b and whose vanes or blades (best shown in FIGS.1

and 3) are made of elastic material and come in contact with and sweep the bottom wall c when the stirring device rotates whereby the vanes cause any solid particles which might have settled to be uniformly distributed in the liquid carrier of the suspension contained in the chamber 10b.

The means which transmits motion to the stirring device 17, 18 when the cap 11 rotates comprises a pair of cooperating coupling elements one of which assumes the form of a plunger 12 coaxially connected with the cap 11 Vand having a noncircular outline (see particularly FIG. 4). The other coupling element assumes the form of an annular member 16 which is rotatably supported by the top portion 10a and which is rigid with the upper portion 17 of the stirring device. This annular member 16 is formed with a noncircular opening 1611 which slidably receives the plunger 12 so that the latter is free to move axially but cannot rotate with respect to the stirring device.

The retaining means which provides a detachable connection between the annular member 16 and the top portion 1011 of the bottle 10 comprises an elastically deformable sleeve 19 whose upper portion 19a forms an annular shoulder which overlaps the peripheral portion of the annular member 16. The lower portion 19h of the sleeve 19 constitutes an inwardly extending annular flange which is snapped into a circumferential groove 10e provided in the top portion 10a. The upper end face of the top portion 10a is formed with an annular depression 10jc which receives the peripheral portion of the annular member 16 so that the sleeve 19 and the top portion 1011 cooperate to form an annular recess which receives the peripheral portion of the member 16 in such a way that the latter is free to rotate with respect to the bottle.

The upper portion 17 of the stirring device is eccentric with reference to the plunger 12 and may but need not be integral with the annular member 16.

The container further comprises an applicator which serves to withdraw a supply of colloidal suspension whenever the cap 11 is unscrewed from the top portion 1011 of the vbottle 10. This applicator comprises a lower portion here shown as a small brush 14 whose bristles will preferably reach the bottom wall 10c when the cap is sealingly connected to the top portion 1011, and a stem 13 which carries the brush 14 and whose upper end is rigid with the plunger 12. The stem 13 may be a cylindrical rod which is coaxial with the top portion 1011 and cap 11.

The cap 11, the applicator 13, 14, the stirring device 17, 18, and the motion transmitting means 12, 16 may be made of suitable synthetic plastic material which may be transparent or colored so as to enhance the eyepleasing appearance and sales appeal of the container as well as to indicate the color of the nail polish which is contained in the chamber 10b. The sleeve 19 may consist of rubber or elastic plastic.

When the container is not in use for extended periods of time, the solid particles will settle on the bottom wall 10c and, in the absence of vigorous stirring, the quality of the coat which is applied onto a fingernail or toe nail could be quite unsatisfactory. However, even a careless `user cannot avoid thorough stirring of the suspension prior to withdrawing the brush 14 because, during opening of the container, the cap 11 automatically rotates the stirring device 17, 18 through the intermediary of the plunger 12 and annular member 16 so that the suspension is stirred in response to withdrawal of the applicator. The same procedure is repeated when the cap is screwed onto the top portion 10a and when the cap is thereupon again separated from the bottle. It is of no consequence whether the operator rotates the bottle with respect to the cap or vice versa because the stirring device will rotate with respect to the bottle and the vanes of the stirring member 18 will sweep the bottom wall 10c to distribute the solid particles in the liquid carrier.

It will be noted that the width of the stirring member 18 exceeds the smallest transverse dimension of the chamber 10b so that the vanes of the stirring member are ilexed (see the phantom lines 18 in FIG. 3) and the stirring member will also remove any solid particles which might have adhered to the side walls of the bottle just above the marginal portions of the bottom wall 10c. The width of the stirring member is preferably somewhat less than the largest transverse dimension of the chamber 10b so that the vanes (which are flexed in the phantom-line position 18 of FIG. 3) will be free to return to unstressed position (shown in full lines), and such unflexing of the vanes will produce a vigorous stirring action resulting in the formation of eddy currents and even more satisfactory stirring effect.

Since the stirring member 18 consists of elastically deformable material and since this member actually sweeps the upper side of the bottom wall 10c, it will remove from this bottom wall all or nearly all solid particles even if the upper side of the bottom wall is concave, convex or has irregularly distributed protuberances.

FIG. 2 illustrates the cap 11 in partially unscrewed position when the brush 14 is already located at a level above the bottom wall 10c. The stirring member 18 cannot follow such upward movement of the cap because the annular member 16 is retained by the sleeve 19, but the entire stirring device is compelled to rotate with respect to the bottle.

FIG. 5 illustrates a slightly modied container whose receptacle assumes the form of a plastic bottle having a tubular top portion 11011 which includes an internally threaded collar 110g. The closure 111 assumes the form of a plastic cap which is provided with external threads meshing with the threads of the collar 110g. The cap 111 carries a concentric plunger 112 of noncircular outline which extends into a complementary opening provided in a rotary annular member 116. This annular member is connected with a stirring device which includes a stirring member having four radially extending elastic vanes 11811 (only two shown) and a tubular upper portion 117 which is rigid with the `annular member 116. The plunger 112 carries an applicator including an elongated stem 113 which extends into the bore of the tubular upper portion 117, and a brush 114 whose bristles lextend into the lowermost zone of the chamber 11011 when the cap 111 seals this chamber from the atmosphere. The four vanes 11811 will produce a very thorough stirring action when the annular member 116 is rotated by the plunger 112 while the latter moves axially in response to rotation of the cap 111 with respect to the bottle 110 or vice versa. The inner portions of the vanes 11811 are spaced from the bottom wall 110C to permit flow of suspension into contact with the brush 114.

The retaining sleeve 119 is secured to the top portion 11011 in the same way as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4. If desired, the space between the main part of the top portion 11011 and the collar 110g may receive an annular gasket which is compressed by the cap 111 when the latter is screwed all the way down to insure that the liquid carrier cannot escape from the chamber 110b. It is assumed that the suspension 120 is a -nail polish.

The cap 111 is connected with a handle 115 whose lower portion may be integral with the plunger 112.

FIG. 6 shows a portion of a third container whose receptacle 210 is of circular outline and wherein the walls 2191 and 210C are respectively provided with spaced projections 22511, 225]? which extend into the chamber 210b. The function of these projections is to ilex the vanes 21811 of the stirring member 218 so that, after passing a given .projection 22511 or 22511, the vanes will be free to untlex and will whip the carrier liquid to produce an exceptionally satisfactory stirring effect. If desired, the projections on the bottom wall 210C or on the side wall 210f may be dispensed with. These projections reduce the corresponding transverse dimension of the chamber 210b.

Similar whipping effect may be produced by utilizing a receptacle of rectangular outline wherein the distance between a pair of opposed corners exceeds the width of a flexible stirring member but wherein the width of the stirring member exceeds the shortest distance between a pair of opposed side walls so that the side walls will ilex the vanes but the varies will be free to unflex while advancing along the corners of the receptacle.

It is to be noted that containers for nail polish or the like with stirring devices are known in the art. However, and insofar as we are informed at this time, all such conventional stirring devices must be manipulated in a separate step which follows or precedes separation of the closure from the receptacle so that a negligent or absent-minded person is likely to remove nail polish without any stirring. Also, the user must spend additional time for manipulation of the stirring device.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber of a predetermined cross-sectional dimension and having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly therefrom, and including a top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising a stirring member extending into said chamber and having an upper portion supported by said top portion and a lower portion extending transversely of said upper portion and having an elongated edge portion abutting at least one of said walls; and motion transmitting means including cooperating coupling elements provided on said closure and on said upper portion to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby said elongated edge portion of said lower portion sweeps across at least one of said walls so that 4a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa.

2. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber having a bottom wall and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising a stirring member of non-metallic material extending into said chamber and having an upper portion supported by said top portion and a lower portion having an elongated edge portion abutting said bottom wall; and motion transmitting means including an annular member rigid with the upper portion of said lstirring device and having an opening of noncircular outline, and a plunger of noncircular cross-section rigid with said closure and slidably received in said opening so as to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby said elongated edge portion of said lower portion sweeps across said bottom wall so that a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa.

3. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle dening an internal chamber and including a screw-threaded top portion through which .a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber and a bottom wall; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising an upper portion supported by said top :portion and a bottom portion extending into said chamber and into actual engagement with said bottom wall and serving as a stirring member; and motion transmitting means including cooperating coupling elements provided on said closure and on said upper portion to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred by sweeping of said stirring member across at least the major part of said bottom wall when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa.

4. A container as set forth in claim 3, wherein said stirring member comprises at least one vane of elastic material which sweeps said bottom wall in response to rotation of said stirring device.

5. A container for colloidal suspensions, particularly for nail polish or similar substances wherein solid particles which are dispersed in a liquid carrier tend to settle in the absence of periodic stirring, comprising a bottle defining an internal chamber having a bottom wall and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising an upper portion extending into said top portion and a bottom portion rigid with said upper portion and extending into said chamber, said bottom portion having a stirring member extending substantially normal to said bottom wall thereacross and into abutment therewith; motion transmitting means including an annular member rigid with the upper portion of said stirring device and having an opening of noncircular outline, and a plunger of noncircular cross-section rigid with said closure and slidably received in said opening so as to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred by sweeping of said stirring member across at least the major part of said bottom wall when said closure is rotated with respect to said bottle or vice versa; retaining means rotatably securing said annular member to said top portion; and an applicator connected with said plunger and having a lower portion extending into said chamber when said closure meshes with said top portion.

6. A container as Set forth in claim 5, wherein the lower portion of said applicator is a brush which dips into a suspension contained in said chamber when said closure seals the chamber from the atmosphere and which withdraws some of such suspension when the closure is unscrewed.

7. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle dening an internal chamber having at least two different transverse dimensions and including a top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising an elastic stirring member extending in said chamber into abutment with the bottom wall of said receptacle and having a width exceeding the smallest of -said cross-sectional dimensions, and an upper portion operatively connected to said top portion; and motion transmitting means cooperating with said closure and said upper portion to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby said elastic stirring member sweeps up any sediment which has settled in said chamber so that a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa.

8. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising a stem portion extending into said chamber and a stirring portion extending transversely of said stern portion substantially normal to, and in abutment with the bottom wall of said receptacle, and an upper portion extending into said top portion; motion transmitting means including an annular member rigid with said upper portion and having an opening of noncircular outline, and a plunger of noncircular cross-section rigid with said closure and slidably received in said opening so as to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby said stirring member sweeps across said bottom wall and a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa; and retaining means for rotatably connecting said annular member with said top portion.

9. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a bottle defining an internal chamber bounded by walls of noncircular outline and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and Withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising a stirring member of elastic material extending into said chamber and having a width exceeding the smallest transverse dimension of said chamber, said stirring device further comprising an upper portion rotatably supported by the top portion of said bottle; and motion transmitting means including cooperating coupling Aelements provided on said closure and on said upper portion to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said bottle or vice versa, said stirring member being automatically deformed by the walls surrounding said chamber when the stirring device is rotated by said closure.

10. A container as set forth in claim 9, wherein the width of said stirring member at most equals the maximum transverse dimension of said chamber so that the stirring member is alternately flexed and unexed when it rotates with respect to said bottle or vice Versa.

11. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a bottle defining an internal chamber and including a top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary cap meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the surrounding atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising an elastic stirring member extending into said chamber normal to, and in contact with the bottom wall of said chamber, and abutting against one of the walls bounding said chamber, and an upper portion extending into said top portion; and motion transmitting means operatively connected with said upper portion and said cap to rotate said annular member and said stirring device in response to rotation of said cap with respect to said bottle or vice versa whereby said stirring device automatically agitates the suspension in said chamber by sweeping across said bottom wall and said one of the walls bounding said chamber.

1'2. A container as set forth in claim l11, wherein said top portion is a tube and further comprising an applicator having a stem which is received in said tube when the cap is attached to said top portion, said agita-tor further comprising ya 'brush connected with the lower end of said stem and dipping into the suspension which is contained in said chamber when the -cap is secured tov said top portion.

113. A container as set for-th in claim 41.1, wherein said cap is provided with external threads and wherein said top portion comprises .a collar having internal threads meshing -with said external threads.

im. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber having at least two different transverse dimensions and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and Withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device comprising an el'astic stirring member extending into said chamber and an upper portion supported by said top portion, the width of said stirring member exceeding the smallest transverse dimension .and ybeing at most equal to the maximum transverse dimension of said chamber; and motion transmitting means including cooperating coupling elements provided on said closure 'and on said upper portion to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa.

i1i5. A container as set forth in claim 14, wherein said chamber is of substantially noncircular outline.

:1*6. A container as set forth in claim 14, wherein said receptacle comprises bot-tom and side walls and wherein at least one of said walls -comprises at least yone projection extending into and reducing the `corresponding transverse dimension of said chamber, said stirring member having at least one portion which is flexed in lresponse to engagement with said projection when said receptacle is caused to rotate with reference to said closure or vice versa.

17. A container as set forth in claim I16, wherein said chamber is of substantially circular outline.

18. A container as set forth in claim 116, wherein at least one of said wal-ls is provided with a plunality of projections and wherein said stirring member comprises a plurality of ilexible vanes which are fexed by said projections.

`e19. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a -colloidal suspension may be introduced into .and withdrawn from said chamber; a rotary-screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device ycomprising an elastic stirring member extending into said chamber and an upper portion extending into said top portion; motion transmitting means including an annular member rigid with said upper portion and having an opening of noncircular outlie, and a rplunger rigid with said closure and slidably received in said opening so as to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa; and retaining means including a sleeve of elastically deformable material for rotatably connecting said annular member with said top portion, said sleeve 'and said top portion defining between themselves an annular recess for the peripheral portion of said annular member.

L20. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle defining an internal chamber and including a screw-threaded top portion through which a colloidal suspension may be introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber, said top portion being provided with a circumferential groove; .a rotary screw-threaded closure meshing with said top portion to normally seal said chamber from the atmosphere; a rotary stirring device 4comprising an elastic stirring member extending into said chamber and an upper portion extending into said top portion; motion transmitting means including an annular member rigid with said upper portion and having an opening of noncirculai outline, and la plunger rigid with said closure and slidably received in said opening so as to rotate said stirring device in response to rotation of said closure whereby .a suspension contained in said chamber is automatically stirred when said closure is rotated with respect to said receptacle or vice versa; and retaining means including la sleeve of elastically deformable material including an annular flange extending into said groove of said top portion for rotatably connecting said lannular member with said top portion, said sleeve and said top portion defining between themselves `an annular recess lfor the peripheral portion of said annular member.

21. A container for colloidal suspensions, comprising a receptacle having a neck and la bottom wall; a closure meshing with said neck and rotatable relative thereto; a rotary stirring device disposed in said receptacle and including .a stirring member having a lower edge portion abutting said bottom wall and extending substantially across the entire cross-sectional dimension thereof, said lower edge por-tion being adapted to sweep at least the major part of said bottom wall; and motion-transmitting means cooperating with said stirring device and said closure so that said stirring member will sweep across said lbottoni wall whenever said closure is rotated whereby any sediment on and adjacent to said bottom wall is returned into suspension.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,793,012 5/57 Wolf 259-122 3,085,2@1- 4/'63 Massman 259-108 X 3,115,664 12/63I DelPonte 15-510 CHARLES A, WILLMU'IH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER FOR COLLOIDAL SUSPENSIONS, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE DEFINING AN INTERNAL CHAMBER OF A PREDETERMINED CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL AND A PERPHERAL WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, AND INCLUDING A TOP PORTION THROUGH WHICH A COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO AND WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CHAMBER; A ROTARY CLOSURE MESHING WITH SAID TOP PORTION TO NORMALLY SEAL SAID CHAMBER FROM THE ATMOSPHERE; A ROTARY STIRRING DEVICE COMPRISING A STIRRING MEMBER EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING AN UPPER PORTION SUPPORTED BY SAID TOP AND A LOWER PORTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID UPPER PORTION AND HAVING AN ELONGATED EDGE PORTION ABUTTING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WALLS; AND MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS INCLUDING COOPERATING COUPLING ELEMENTS PROVIDED ON SAID CLOSURE AND ON SAID UPPER PORTION TO ROTATE SAID STIRRING DEVICE IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID CLOSURE WHEREBY SAID ELONGATED EDGE PORTION OF SAID LOWER PORTION SWEEPS ACROSS AT LEAST ONE FO SAID WALLS SO THAT A SUSPENSION CONTAINED IN SAID CHAMBER IS AUTOMATICALLY STIRRED WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS ROTATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID RECEPTACLE OR VICE VERSA. 